Sekirov Dictionary

needle

/ˈniː.dəl/

noun 10
verb 3
forms 3
phrases 6

noun10

•
a long thin sharp piece of metal, used to join pieces of material or to put medicine into the body
- The seamstress threaded the needle to sew on a button.
- reusable needles
Any slender, pointed object resembling a needle, such as a pointed crystal, a sharp pinnacle of rock, an obelisk, etc.
•
A needle-like leaf found on some conifers.
- At the very moment he cried out, David realised that what he had run into was only the Christmas tree. Disgusted with himself at such cowardice, he spat a needle from his mouth. — 1994
•
A fine measurement indicator on a dial or graph.
- The needle on the fuel gauge pointed to empty.
•
A text string that is searched for within another string. (see: needle in a haystack)
- Both of these functions will look through the haystack for the specified needle and, if they find it, will return the portion of the string from the beginning of the needle to the end of the haystack. — 2010
•
A sensor for playing phonograph records, a phonograph stylus.
- Ziggy bought some diamond needles for his hi-fi phonograph.
(informal) The death penalty carried out by lethal injection.
A strong beam resting on props, used as a temporary support during building repairs.
A move in which the performer begins with two hands and one leg on the floor, then kicks the other leg into a full split.
Any of various species of damselfly of the genus Synlestes, endemic to Australia.

verb3

•
To pierce with a needle, especially for sewing or acupuncture.
- […]the eyes were once more beginning to show the old nystagmus; so I decided to needle the cataracts, and on Jan. 31 I needled the right eye. — 1892
•
To tease in order to provoke; to poke fun at.
- Billy needled his sister incessantly about her pimples.
To form, or be formed, in the shape of a needle.

forms

needled · needling · needles

Phrases with needle

This dictionary works without the internet: on your phone · in Chrome